I'm running ZAES 10.1.079 with Browser Virtualisation turned on. My computer is XP professional, SP3, running IE8. This is a clean installation of the new 10.1.079 version - previously was running version 9.3.014 with Browser Virtualisation turned on, with no problems.

With this version, it can work fine for a while while surfing using IE8 (I'm talking minutes here, not hours or days), but eventually the more windows we click in and out of, open/shut tabs etc, Explorer slows down until it appears it isn't working at all. There is such a lag between shutting a window or clicking on a button that it might take a few minutes to respond to that command.

I discovered that if I go into Task Manager / Processes, there are several instances of iexplore.exe running. Sometimes three or four, but often two. If I click on "End Process" for one of the iexplore.exe processes, then it has several effects: Firstly, ending one instance of iexplore.exe usually shuts more than one of the instances (sometimes all of them). Secondly, the speed of my computer is restored to normal, until I keep surfing and too many iexplore.exe's appear again in Task Manager, so I have to end the process again.

This is very annoying and frustrating. Also (possibly related), it crashes several sites. For example, watching a You Tube video starts OK, but often before it is finished it gets "stuck", and we keep hearing blips of the sound trying to work but getting nowhere. I have to end the iexplore.exe process to get out of it, which throws us out of You Tube. It is impossible to watch videos with Browser Virtualisation on.

I thought initially that it was a poor installation. Originally I installed 10.1.079 over the top of my version 9, as that was what the programme wanted to do. I soon realised that was a bad idea, so uninstalled and reinstalled. Still didn't work, so I uninstalled using every cleaning tool I could find reference to on these forums (ff_cleanup, clean.exe, iecleaner, appremover.exe), in safe mode and in normal mode. I also went into the registry and files and deleted any reference I could find to Zone Alarm. And, I ran the Kaspersky virus removal tool which is linked to on the Support page of ZA (it found nothing).

Since I have reinstalled it is still doing the same thing every time I switch Browser Virtualisation on. Does anyone know what may be causing this?

seeing more than one iexplorer can be normal. Especially if you work with IE tabs. The instability you are experiencing may be linked to corrupted cache. Clear more often the ZA virtual cache ("clear virtual cache").

For the slow down on video you can try to boot the system with ZAX and OS services only to see if it is an issue with a combination of other running processes. It could be linked to video quality, bandswitch available, RAM, graphic card, etc.

1.) Click Start -> Run
2.) Type MSConfig in the run box and click OK
3.) Once in MSConfig, click the Startup Tab
4.) Remove the checks from everything except ZAtray and forcefield
5.) Click the Services Tab
6.) Place a check in "Hide All Microsoft Services"
7.) Now remove checks from everything other than TrueVector Internet
Monitor and ForceField, and click OK.
8.) Restart your computer

Now keep testing, then if no problem occurs start enabling back those UNchecked items by group of three or four starting from the services and the moving to the startup section up to when you find the culprit.

NOTE: You can place your computer back into a normal startup process bygoing back into msconfig and choosing the Normal Startup option on theGeneral tab.

Note : Some toolbars may require that two or more controls are enabled to work correctly. These toolbars have controls for the corresponding Browser Helper Object and toolbar extensions. You can easily use the Manage Add-ons dialog box to enable any disabled controls that are from a trusted publisher.

Footnote : To reset Internet Explorer automatically, You can run the Microsoft Fix it from this link also.

I have tried Fax's suggestions.
I cleared the virtual cache, then went on and followed the instructions for booting the system with ZAX and OS to check for conflicts.

Result: Before I finished testing what effect the change in startup had, the computer slowed down to the point where I had to delete the iexplore.exe process in order to continue. This fixed the slow-down, but also shut down IE8. After going back in and testing, I found the video sticking problem still eventually occurs even with only the ZAtray, Forcefield and TrueVector Internet Monitor operating. Occasionally it freed itself to run for another ten seconds or so, then stuck again. This problem never occurs with virtualisation turned off, so it has to have something to do with that?

Anyhow, it's midnight here so I will try the further suggestions from SkySoldiers and GeorgeV tomorrow and report back. Thanks for everyone's input; it is always greatly appreciated.

Further information required for someone who's not sure what they're doing!

Sky Soldiers, when I reset IE8 would you recommend that I "Delete personal settings", or is it OK to keep these? (I don't mind losing browsing history, home pages etc but I don't know how to put back the ActiveX filtering data or tracking protection etc which Microsoft talks about in their article).

Fax, when you say after resetting IE to run it only with the ZA add-ons, do you mean to go to the MSConfig and do what you said in your original reply, or something else?

Sky Soldiers, when I reset IE8 would you recommend that I "Delete personal settings", or is it OK to keep these? (I don't mind losing browsing history, home pages etc but I don't know how to put back the ActiveX filtering data or tracking protection etc which Microsoft talks about in their article).
Thanks,
SLP

This information applies to Windows Internet Explorer 8.

This should answers all you're concerns.

Internet Explorer settings that are affected by a reset at this link :

I thought I'd be able to report success - with the reset done and add-ons disabled all worked well for 3/4 of a day, then the machine started slowing right down again sometimes, and a few videos stuck too. I'm still in the process of trying to narrow down what is switched on to cause this conflict. Will report back with the answer when (if!) I find it (if my husband hasn't smashed the computer in frustration first!)